The mood in the atmosphere shifted from tense to calm in seconds. At least, that's how Jungkook viewed it. His shoulders raised as he spoke to his swan, fearing what Jimin thought deep down. The king's thoughts began to wonder what Jimin was thinking at a time like this. Yet, his obsessive and desperate mind clung onto their romance through those negative thoughts alone. Jeon Jungkook was truly killing himself slowly and ignored it when Jimin held him close.

      "Jimin..." Jungkook whispered against the omega's body as his grip only seemed to get tighter. "Say we'll always have forever, tell me the beautiful things so I could stop thinking the worst."

       "Jungkook, we'll always have forever..." Jimin didn't seem to hesitate as he fulfilled the alpha's wishes. Slowly but carefully, Jimin ran his hand over the alpha's hair as he began to pick up an off feeling from the king.

      It was a sharp feeling that made a shiver run down Jimin's spine. He looked down at the king and noted how tight his grip truly was. Almost as if Jungkook kept the omega trapped in his arms. Jimin didn't seem to think much of it and found it as his king being romantic and childish at a time like this, but did Jimin brush it off completely? No, the boy was too observant to do that.

     "Promise me we'll have forever..." Jungkook whispered and held his eyes closed against Jimin's body; pressing his cheek against the soft silk of the omega's hanbok. "Promise me..."

      "I promise we'll have forever," Jimin replied and finally pointed the alpha's face towards him. "You're so clingy today, are you still having those thoughts?"

       "I'm sorry..."

       "Don't apologize, you only apologize for mistakes or bad things," Jimin assured and felt the king's complexion just under his fingertips. "Your feelings aren't mistakes nor bad things, my Jungkook..."

      The gentle whisper of Jimin's sweet voice felt as if the words melted into the king's ear. He locked eyes with the omega and smiled at his swan, brightening his gaze once more to cherish such a lovely feeling he wished he could think of nothing with.

      "Jimin, would you like to come to the palace soon?" Jungkook wondered as Jimin only let out a giggle at the thought. "What?" Jungkook asked and let out a laugh from Jimin's sudden reaction.

       "Jungkook, I can't be seen in the palace, do you know what could be said about that?"

        "You could come by on a day of selection and you will be in the palace for a reason! Maybe then, you could stay overnight with me for once. Wouldn't you like that? To wake up by my side?" Jungkook questioned and ran his hands up Jimin's waist as he stood up in front of the omega.

       "We'll have all eternity after marriage to do things like that, Jungkook. I wouldn't like to rush that in so soon. Besides, you're an alpha, and I'm an omega. Spending a night together before marriage would lead to many things," Jimin replied and stepped away from the alpha, tucking his hands behind his frame and smiling as he walked. "Would that be a rule a king like you would like to break?"

      Jungkook grew silent as his face grew red right after. The idea of touching Jimin and fulfilling his fantasies way before marriage was tempting to the alpha. Most omegas and alphas risked their first time before marriage and hid it well right after. Yet, Jungkook just couldn't find an answer to such a question like that.

       "I-I..." Jungkook sputtered and listened to Jimin let out a laugh that could light up a dark room in seconds.

        "Oh, Jungkook! What's wrong with you?" Jimin giggled and looked back at the king tilting his head with a hint of an innocent smile leaving its mark on his charming face. "I'm only teasing!" The omega added. Then, Jimin walked over to the alpha once more and patted his shoulder softly. "I would love to spend the night~"

       "What about your parents?"

       "I don't care what they have to say anymore. Call me careless, but I know what's good for me at the end of the day."

      It was the feisty mindset the swan had that always seemed to impress the alpha. Jimin didn't care about the consequences of his actions and was very oblivious to the reality. The two were exact opposites of each other; Jimin was careless, carefree, and Jungkook was always alert; worried of many outcomes to beautiful things. Yet, no matter how different their worlds were, they still needed each other to exist happily like two sides of a coin.

      Eventually, Jungkook returned to the palace for the first selection. The king would see different omegas each time until he had seen every omega in the land for marriage. Jungkook didn't bother to wrap his head around the thought of marriage when it came to the selection, since it was only based on looks that would influence the decision. Jungkook only relied on his plan to reject each group until Jimin would give him his word for marriage.

      The King stood at the entry to his throne room where the first group of omegas arrived at the courtyard. Different scents of beautiful omegas filled the palace, but none of them seemed to stand out to Jungkook compared to how Jimin's scent would. The alpha observed each and every omega standing and smiling; trying to make his lie believable. The omegas bowed at his presence and dreamed of being able to rule alongside him, but Jungkook only kept a bland stare towards the group.

      Yoongi noted Jungkook's lack of interest and already caught onto his plans. The king tended to make many believe that he was a very picky man with high standards, so the head guard only scoffed and looked to the side. Still disappointed in the fact that they haven't spoken even after their argument. Deep down, Yoongi missed speaking to the king and their bond was deeper than any friendship the king has ever known. Yoongi was his guard since he was just a prince so the feeling of shutting each other out for even just a day, seemed to weigh in the guard's glee.

      "Welcome to the King's selection. You are the first group within the courtyard. If the King chooses an omega, the ban will be lifted and you will be engaged to the King. But if he does not choose an omega of this group, you will all return home and wait out the marriage ban until it is lifted. Some of you are already arranged to marry or are already engaged. That will not matter during this selection. It is the King who chooses who he desires. If you are chosen but engaged at the same time, you will no longer be engaged to your old alpha. The King will marry you if chosen. You will belong to the king," announced one of the advisers standing beside Jungkook.

      Jungkook looked at every omega's face and raised a brow, trying to play off the idea that he was interested when he really wasn't. When the selection began, Jungkook walked down the steps leading to his throne room and wandered through the first group of omegas. Their vast scents varied, but the only scent he could think of was Jimin's. Jeon Jungkook was too into the idea of Jimin being his, that he found the other omegas unworthy of competing for his hand in marriage.

     "No," Jungkook declared as he stood in front of the group after walking around a few times. "I don't want to marry any of them."

      "The King has spoken, please wait to be escorted out," the adviser spoke as a group of guards escorted the embarrassed omegas out of the courtyard.

       As Jungkook watched the omegas make their way out, Jungkook made a smile, believing that this was one step closer into his marriage with his true love; Park Jimin. Just as Jungkook watched the group leave, the familiar guard caught his eye right after.

      Yoongi stood across the courtyard and looked around as he noted the king looking at his direction. Within seconds, Jungkook nudged himself forward to speak with the guard he argued with the night before. Of course, Yoongi caught onto the king's scent too soon and watched Jungkook walk closer into his direction until he finally stood in front of him.

      "My King," Yoongi greeted Jungkook with a bow as Jungkook only tended to stare at the guard for a while until he could form a sentence on what he longed to say.

      Jungkook knew he had to get along with the guard sooner or later, he didn't like the idea of drifting apart from his only friend within the palace. At the end of the day, Jungkook was still a clueless, young, king who still had yet to learn.

       "I believe the first selection was a success..." Yoongi mentioned, trying to ease tension between them, but this only teased the silence even longer. "The next selection would take place tomorrow, just another group to turn down,"

      "It seems like it," the king added on. Just then, memories of their argument came running back and the king could already tell how awkward the guard felt standing in front of him as if nothing happened the night before.

      "Yoongi, about our argument..."

      "I'm listening, My King."

      "Yoongi, I'm sorry..." Jungkook finally apologized and watched the guard slowly move his head up to lock his gaze onto the king. "My feelings got the best of me, I just wanted to apologize for being so rude. I should have never turned you away when you only longed to help," said the king into gentle whispers for only the alpha before him to hear. "Could you ever forgive me?"

      Yoongi noted the sincere gleam in the boy's eyes when he begged for forgiveness. Just then, a soft smile formed over the guard's face and his fangs began to shine into the gentle grin. "Of course I can, I couldn't stay upset. It's also my fault for pushing my ideas onto you and expecting you to follow. You're just a boy, a young boy taking on the role of a King. I was just disappointed, that's all."

      "Ah, you should know how I am by now... This is the same thing that happened when I was a Prince. I believed that omega loved me and that's all that mattered! You and I are always going to keep arguing about these things and I just want us both to understand that by now," Jungkook replied and gave a smile at the guard. "Could you blame me for being so young and naive?"

       "Oh, Jungkook... You're such a child with the power of many alphas combined," Yoongi chuckled and watched the group of omegas leave the court completely. "Is that your plan? Reject every group until Jimin makes up his mind?"

       "Yes, that's what I have in mind," replied the king until the thought of Jimin appeared in his head once more. "Yoongi, I long to invite Jimin over for a night... Would you help me?" Once the king requested help from the guard, Yoongi's eyes widened and coughed at the weight of the question.

        "Jimin is going... to spend the night in your sleeping chamber?" Yoongi replied in disbelief until he noticed the king let out a contagious laugh. "Are you willing to risk that before marriage?"

     "No! You don't understand, surely anything could happen, but initially, I want him to be by my side. I can't sleep without him, I miss him too much at night," Jungkook said and looked away with a smile. "It will only be us; sitting alone in my sleeping chamber. It's as innocent as it can get!"

      "You are an alpha who has wet dreams of this omega, do you really think you could control yourself for one night? What if you get your rut and Jimin is alone with you? You could grasp onto something in your mind, but it will be difficult."

     "If anything, I will try that. I will try to keep safety in my mind if it happens. Until then, will you help me? There's a slight chance I might get my rut, but it will be my first since I've taken my spot as King. Spending it with Jimin is thoughtful, but I don't want to hurt him,"

       "I will help you, Jungkook. But, please practice on focusing correctly for when that time comes. Hurting Jimin is the last thing you would ever want." Yoongi advised and began to step forward to exchange his scheduled post. "Also, if we ever argue in the future, just know I could never stay angry at you, Jungkook. I will always be your friend. Always, never forget that."